Elections

Romanian Centrist Beats Far-Right, Tusk Ally Ahead in Poland

Nicusor Dan greets supporters following the first exit poll results, at an election night rally in Bucharest on May 18.Photographer: Andrei Pungovschi/Getty Images

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By Andra Timu and Irina Vilcu

May 18, 2025 at 6:00 PM UTC

Updated on

May 19, 2025 at 10:05 AM UTC

Romania’s presidential election saw the centrist mayor of Bucharest defeat a far-right Donald Trump loyalist, while a nationalist finished a close second in Poland to set up a tight runoff on June 1.

Nicusor Dan, an independent and one-time math prodigy, beat George Simion of the far-right Alliance for the Unity of Romanians, 54% to 46%, on Sunday. In Poland meanwhile, Warsaw’s mayor pulled off a victory with a much tighter margin against a rival from the populist right in the first round of the country’s presidential contest.